pleasure in simple things

a cranberry bog in nyc

October 18, 2013

You may think of Rockefeller Center in New York City as a place to visit at Christmas, or maybe you associate it with the TV show “30 Rock”…but, did you ever think of it as a place where you can visit a cranberry bog? Well, you can – on today’s Friday field trip!

Every year at this time, Ocean Spray transforms a little piece of Rockefeller Center into a cranberry bog.

The best part about checking it out is seeing the reactions of passersby…

Apparently, many people have never seen the way cranberries are harvested and the reactions are fun to watch!

The display demonstrates that cranberries need fresh water to survive… The vines spread along the bog’s floor and mechanical rakes are used to harvest the cranberries off the vines. Actual cranberry vines are very resilient – some more than 150 years old!

I think many of us in New England think Massachusetts is where all the U.S. cranberries come from, but Wisconsin is actually the largest U.S. producer (close to 60%) of cranberries; with Massachusetts coming in second.

I think it is pretty cool that Ocean Spray replicates what a bog looks like, right in Rockefeller Center!

Thanks for stopping by. Have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

dreaming of a white halloween

October 15, 2013

Who says Halloween decorating has to be black and orange? I prefer white…think ghosts, tangles of spider webs, fangs…all white! So, why not decorate with white?

Of course decorating with treats is a requirement…and there are some great white options. Because I love white decorating, I often create white dessert tables at the holidays. White is a fun option for Halloween treats also!

For visiting adults on Halloween, champagne bubbles are the perfect sweet!

Decorating a white Halloween. Create a white on white polka dot pumpkin by creating white dots with acrylic paint, white nail polish, or white felt and glue. Champagne bubbles in treat sacks continue the dot theme.

These “yum” sacks are better suited to the young ones. Fill with white jelly beans, mini marshmallows, or white gum drops to appeal to younger tastes.

I made these ghosts from a traditional meringue recipe. Flavoring them with root beer makes them a fun and different sweet for Halloween. The color from the root beer extract also gives them a vintage color. Eyes are easy to create with a toothpick and some black paste food coloring.

If you would rather purchase your ghosts, the traditional ‘Peeps’ come in ghost form…

I hope you are inspired to create some white Halloween of your own!

Homemade caramel apples dipped in white chocolate and coated in sliced almonds still to be made ;)

Some easy-to-make votives to spread your Halloween message…wrap votives in white linen stamped with appropriate letters.

Thanks so much for stopping by. Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Craftberry Bush, A Pinch of Joy, and The Well Crafted Home.

1 comment

goodbye garden

October 11, 2013

There is no denying that fall is Connecticut in beautiful. But, to make way for the beauty of the changing leaves, the flowers vanish.

This is the time of year when I have to take in my favorite bird bath to protect it from being broken by the first frost…For Friday field trip today, I thought we would go outside and take a look in the garden to see what survived the start of autumn…

There is plenty of euphorbia…it seems to like this time of year…among it, one lone piece of lavender…

Not much else…some mums of course…and, a monster black-eyed susan vine. I decided to create something with the few flowers I had left…to capture one last look at my garden…so I arranged them in one of my white pumpkins to bring into the house.

This is easy to do…if you want to create one, just cut off the top of a pumpkin, hollow out the inside, and add floral foam to arrange the flowers. (You might remember last year I planted succulents.)

I like my little reminder of what is left of summer in my garden.

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

no comments

velvet acorns

October 8, 2013

This year I am making velvet acorns. And, since I am going for a woodland theme holiday, I am also making some velvet acorn ornaments to use for my holiday decorating. You may remember my velvet pumpkins from last year…I had so much fun picking out velvet fabrics, sewing up the pumpkins, and adding real pumpkin stems.

I even posted some easy diy instructions on how to make the velvet pumpkins. Acorns are easy to make using the same method as the pumpkins…using real acorn caps. Aren’t they adorable! To make your own, just cut the diameter of the velvet (acorn) circle twice the diameter of the acorn cap you will be using with it.

To make the ornament, be sure to put a hole in the acorn cap and add a thread for hanging before you glue the cap to the velvet. For a little added holiday glitz, I also added some sparkle to the acorn cap with some glitter.

Why not take a walk in the woods this week and collect some acorns to make some velvet acorns?

They are easy to make and add a beautiful woodland touch to your fall decor.

You may also want to start on some holiday ornaments!

Thank you so much for stopping by.

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Craftberry Bush, Common Ground, and The Shabby Nest.

11 comments

pine straw bale planting

October 4, 2013

How many times have you seen hay bales and corn stalks used to decorate the outside of a home at this time of year? Pretty standard, right? When I saw a workshop scheduled at Terrain for planting pine straw bales, I was intrigued…what exactly would be done with the bales?

It turned out that Terrain designer Angela actually planted right inside the bale! I thought it was so cool that I wanted to share this week on Friday field trip.

A really great idea that can be tailored to any color scheme or taste. Start with a pine straw bale and some plants that you like or that will coordinate with the outside colors of your house…

Using scissors or something sharp, cut out spots to plant inside the bales – adding soil as your planting medium.

Looking down on a finished pine straw bale planting created by designer Angela at Terrain in Westport, Connecticut.

After Angela planted the selection of plants she had chosen, she added some green moss around the plants and a few white pumpkins (I wonder if that was for my benefit lol!) to complete the look.

Great idea, right?

Just be sure to place your pine straw bale in it’s spot before you start planting…Angela had hers on a cart so she didn’t have to worry about lifting it after it was completed. It looks great from every angle! I love the contrast between the plants and the pine straw.

I hope this will inspire you to try creating one of your own bale plantings…something a little different for your seasonal decor…thanks Angela!

If you don’t have a Terrain near you, you can easily find pine straw bales at Home Depot.

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great weekend and remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at Craftberry Bush and The Tablescaper.

1 comment

monthly book giveaway for october!

October 1, 2013

I am finding it hard to believe it is already October! This means it is time to give away September’s book selection and to announce the giveaway for October!

Congratulations to Katherine over at the blog Creating Through Life for winning the September book giveaway! Katherine will receive a signed copy of Cook Like a Rock Star by Anne Burrell. You are going to love this book Katherine!

Now for October’s giveaway selection! This month’s book is a unique selection that goes along with the ‘outdoorsy’ woodland vibe I have been exploring lately…remember my holiday inspiration?

This book is about foraging in your backyard! It is a really interesting selection…you will be amazed at the 65 familiar plants you didn’t know you could eat! The book is called Backyard Foraging and I am giving away a copy signed by the author, Ellen Zachos. Ms. Zachos, author of many books on gardening, leads foraging walks and teaches at the New York Botanical Garden, where she received her certification in Commercial Horticulture and Ethnobotany.

Leave a comment here or on facebook to win this month’s giveaway. Good luck!

Isn’t this a perfect selection as a tie-in to my inspiration board?

Happy October! Thank you so much for stopping by, Jackie Instagram users, read on…

For you Instagram lovers, this month’s challenge is to share any white pumpkin sightings using hashtag #pleasuregram.

7 comments

club monaco arrives

September 27, 2013

Are you an outlet shopper? We have a couple of big outlet centers here in Connecticut. I don’t visit them very often, but on my last outlet trip, I was on a mission…

On a mission to check out the new Club Monaco! The first one in Connecticut! So, for the benefit of all my Connecticut friends, today’s Friday field trip is to the Club Monaco store in Clinton.

Well, since I was there…I really needed to try on a few things, didn’t I? Love the oversized dressing room!

Club Monaco is headquartered in New York City with over 69 stores in North America, in addition to several other countries. (Originally a Canadian company, Club Monaco is now owned and operated by Polo Ralph Lauren.) I have been to Club Monaco stores in New York, but my favorite location is the Philadelphia store…and I love shopping there with my college-aged daughter since the store offers a discount to college students!

It was at the Philadelphia store that one of my favorite sales associates gave me the heads-up on the new Connecticut location.

The Club Monaco style represents “a distinctly urban-casual point of view, best defined as a sophisticated play of opposites: mixing vintage with new, hard with soft and eclectic with minimal.”

I’m so excited to have the store in Connecticut…and, to have the opportunity to buy some great things at a discount!

If you live nearby, check it out. Thanks for joining me today for Friday field trip.

Here in Connecticut, one weather reporter said “Saturday will be the best day of the year.” Looking forward to it…Hope you are looking forward to some good weather or something fun this weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment

mini white pumpkins 3 ways

September 24, 2013

I am not a big Halloween person. Granted, I do like planting in pumpkins, making pumpkins, carving pumpkins, and eating pumpkins. And… I certainly like candy! But I’m really not into the whole black and orange decorating thing and I don’t find being scared out of my wits an enjoyable past time.

It was not until the white pumpkin hit the scene that I took a dedicated interest in Halloween decorating.

I thought today I would show you some ways to use mini white pumpkins this season and maybe you too would get hooked on using them in your Autumn decor!

Here are three easy ways to change up white pumpkins for autumn decorating.

A really easy way to dress up a white pumpkin is with some metallic paint. Just a little acrylic paint sponged onto a white pumpkin dresses it up for the fanciest of occasions.

Plasti Dip is another great material to use on white pumpkins. It easily and instantly adheres to the pumpkin and can be tinted in any color. I used some pink I had tinted from a previous project for these pumpkins. Even the stems are fair game! Love it!

For a Halloween party, black Plasti Dip dripped down a white pumpkin would look nice and creepy!

A really great thing about white pumpkins is that it is so easy to coordinate them with any color. When I wanted some gray toned pumpkins to use with zinc items, I just tinted some white pumpkins gray! I rubbed the surface with a little black paste food coloring to get the perfect color to use with my table setting! I sprayed the finished project with a matte finish clear coat.

What can you do with some mini pumpkins for your next get together? Have fun with it! Use hash tag #pleasuregram to share your mini white pumpkin creation on Instagram.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Remember to find pleasure in simple things, Jackie

1 comment

fall at terrain

September 20, 2013

If you read this blog, you know how much I love Terrain. I also enjoy taking you on a visit to this beautiful garden store from time to time since there are only two stores (CT and PA) and not everyone is as lucky as I am…I frequent them both!

Today, for Friday field trip, we are visiting the Westport, Connecticut store to see how they are preparing for fall…

I hope you will enjoy sharing a few photos…

I am sure we will make another trip sometime soon ;)

Especially since I decided on a woodland theme for my holiday decor this year…I will need some supplies. :)

This particular trip was special for me since I had a chance to talk to Joe…he is one of the creative visual team at the store – busy at work when I stopped by.

Every trip to the store is an adventure…I can’t wait to see what Joe is creating! Maybe I will stop by over the weekend to enjoy some s’mores by their fire and check out the latest inspiration!

Terrain also happens to be the store that helps satisfy my white pumpkin obsession…

Thank you so much for stopping by and have a wonderful weekend!

Remember to take pleasure in simple things, Jackie

Sharing at The Tablescaper.

2 comments

appetizer for a television obsession

September 17, 2013

If watching television is going to be a special occasion, preparing a special snack to accompany it is in order – so while football fans are enjoying beer and barbeque, my idea of the perfect television fare is a little different…

For quite some time my favorite show has probably been Top Chef. I love shows on Food Network and HGTV. I won’t watch scary movies or graphic violence…I still have nightmares from the shower scene in the movie Scarface. So how did I come to love a show that involves so much graphic, drug related violence? It happened during the snowstorm last winter when the record breaking snow made it impossible to drive anywhere for four days and I started watching some on demand television shows.

And, in spite of the violence, I got hooked on Breaking Bad…the brilliant writing and the phenomenal acting had me enthralled…yes, I do sometimes close my eyes for some of the more graphic moments (like the twins!)…but, I have now watched every episode… and as the final 3 episodes air, I prepare for each one ceremoniously.

My appetizer recipe…I garnished mine with walnuts. You can change up the pears with apples, caramelized onions, etc.

This was my special snack for last Sunday’s episode It is easy to prepare and really tasty. If you keep a loaf of bread in the freezer, a quick and delicious appetizer is always at the ready…for unexpected company or, in my case, a snack for a television obsession.

search

categories

recent posts

archives

my friends & favs

a cranberry bog in nyc

dreaming of a white halloween

goodbye garden

velvet acorns

pine straw bale planting

monthly book giveaway for october!

club monaco arrives

mini white pumpkins 3 ways

fall at terrain

appetizer for a television obsession